T he Merry Throng

Missions

[?] More to Join T he Merry Throng

Port Moresby, May 29.

TVES of the Trusteeship erritory have an equal right ith Europeans to chose their brm of religion—and the Ad tration is there to see that ;et it —so said an official mem f the Legislative Council to ri reply to a general conten by some mission and other ers that the number of new ns setting up in business in territory could lead to con . in the native mind, if not e. extraordinary number of new •ns that have been allowed be Trust Territory of NG since nd of the war—especially to lighlands area, where there robably a dozen varieties of ns now competing for souls — iscussed as a result of a new troduced to allow yet another n to operate in the NG High s this time the Swiss elical Brotherhood Mission, to on from headquarters near iking on the proposal, the Rt.

Rev. P. N. Strong, Anglican Bishop of New Guinea, said that there was a gentleman’s agreement between different mission bodies in Papua before the war—referred to gener ally as the Comity of Missions — under which each mission had a definite sphere of influence. This had been introduced in Sir William MacGregor’s day and each govern ment thereafter had supported the policy. Since the war, the policy was still adhered to in a general way. However, the Administration’s policy as far as the Trusteeship Territory was concerned was apparently that the more missions

there were the better. He did not for a moment suggest that there should be restriction in choice of religion but he did think that the present policy was likely to create confusion and that there should be another attempt at Comity.

The Administration reply to this is that as a Trusteeship Territory no Christian mission can be refused permission to operate in New Guinea.' (Official members always referred specifically to “Christian” missions.

Does this please the Asian mem bers of the Trusteeship Council?)